Jonathan Shay is author of Achilles in Vietnam: Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character.

In this concluding portion of "Achilles in Vietnam," author Jonathan Shay describes the precise clinical qualities of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as it affects former soldiers and civilians who have suffered traumatic loss. He reflects on possible parallels with the behavior of young people caught up in the stress of violent neighborhoods. And he uses his own experience to suggest ways in which relatives, friends, and associates of stress disorder patients can help in their treatment and their return to the community.